


Shared Blood

by Imori_Hikaru



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Blood, Blood Drinking, Illnesses, Light Angst, M/M, Not Beta Read, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:02:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28602633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imori_Hikaru/pseuds/Imori_Hikaru
Summary: Shiro is sick. He won't have a long life, and certainly not as long as Keith will have as a vampire. No matter what they feel towards one another, Shiro cannot allow them to act on it.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28
Collections: Voltron Secret Santa





	Shared Blood

**Author's Note:**

  * For [communikate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/communikate/gifts).



Keith yawned, his legs stretched across the couch and resting over Shiro’s thighs. Shiro glanced at him, maintaining most of his focus on the movie flickering on the screen in front of them. It was getting late. The two of them had been camped out on the couch for the better part of the day, alternating between who chose their next movie. They were four movies in at this point.

“Tired?” Shiro asked, picking a fuzz of the cuff off Keith’s joggers.

“Mhm, a bit,” Keith admitted reluctantly, knowing Shiro would see through a lie anyway.

“Were you thinking of heading out then?” Shiro stole another glance at Keith, wincing inwardly at the hint of pain he saw in his eyes. “If you wanted, I could make dinner first?” Shiro tried, hoping to wash that pain away. It seemed to work, since Keith’s body visibly relaxed and the corner of his lips ticked up in a small, lopsided smile.

“Did you have anything in mind?”

“I can see what I have,” Shiro stretched before getting to his feet, moving Keith’s legs from his lap and back onto the couch. In the kitchen, Shiro browsed the somewhat slim assortment he had on hand to compose a meal and made a mental note to go grocery shopping. In the end, he had ingredients for stir fry so he decided to go with that.

Keith hadn’t remained in the living room for long, relocating to the kitchen shortly after Shiro abandoned the couch. He offered to help out, but Shiro declined, resulting in Keith taking up post at the table, watching Shiro move around the kitchen and throw together their dinner.

While Shiro plated their stir fry, Keith grabbed them glasses for water. Shiro sat down at the table opposite Keith. Keith fumbled with a package with a little red tablet inside. The first time Shiro saw one of these tablets, he’d thought it was some kind of medication or supplement, and in some ways that was true. It was a supplement, but not of the variety Shiro had assumed.

No, this tablet served as a replacement for blood. It was a common practice for vampires to dissolve this tablet in water, or even directly in their mouth, to provide them with the nutritional benefits that blood would have in their diet.

***

Shiro heaved a sigh, raking his hand through his hair. He braced himself on the edge of his bathroom counter, looking at his reflection. He was in love with Keith, and of course, he was well aware that Keith was interested in him in return. It was horribly unfair of him.

Keith was a vampire, aging at a far slower rate than humans. Keith had hundreds of years ahead of him. Shiro could have fifty if he was lucky, but he’s not lucky. He’s sick. He’s already dying. He had a few years at best. Significantly less than that of a typical human, who already lived far shorter lives than vampires.

It was unfair for Shiro to fall for Keith. It was unfair for him to be as close to Keith as he was. He was going to hurt Keith when he died, and he would only hurt him more if he allowed himself to act on his feelings for him. If anything, Shiro should be pushing Keith away. The further he could push Keith before his death, the softer the blow will be. He hoped anyway.

Shiro washed his face with cold water before taking another long look at himself. At twenty-five he was already sporting a tuft of white hair amongst his natural black. He huffed a laugh. Maybe he worked too hard, but he couldn’t help it. The stress he put himself through was worth it. He felt as though he’d lived a fairly full life for as young as he was. He yanked his eyes away from his reflection and flipped the lights off. He had more work to do before he could call it a night.

***

Shiro’s phone chimed, he glanced at the screen, seeing Keith’s name. He flipped it over and did his best to ignore it. He’d begun to realize that cutting Keith off entirely might be the best option. It wasn’t what he wanted to do, but he didn’t want to cause them both more pain by continuing to ignore the reality of their situations.

Whenever Keith was around, Shiro struggled to distance himself. He allowed too much physical closeness as it was. Things had gone too far already. Shiro needed to slam on the breaks and back pedal on their relationship. There wasn’t a label between them, but they had become much more than friends.

***

Keith growled, tossing his phone to the side and covering his face with a pillow. Shiro was ignoring him. The first few unanswered messages could easily be excused as Shiro getting busy with work, but it’d been a week and a half now and no response. Keith had no idea what he’d done wrong. Anxiety crawled all over his skin as he mulled over everything he may have said or done to upset Shiro.

Had Shiro realized Keith’s feelings? Did it make him uncomfortable? Keith bit his lower lip, ignoring the sting from his fangs piercing his flesh. He’d been too obvious about his crush.

***

Finally breaking down, Keith decided to stop by Shrio’s place. If nothing else, he just wanted to apologize. He sucked in a deep breath, raising his hand to knock. There was a crash, followed by a thump from within. Keith rapped on the door, calling Shiro’s name and getting no response.

Reaching up, Keith’s fingers ran along the top of the doorframe. They connected with cold metal. He grabbed the spare key from its hiding place, letting himself into the apartment with trembling hands.

As the door swung open, Keith felt like he’d just stepped into a nightmare. Shiro was laying in a heap on the floor, a broken mug and paperwork scattered on the floor beside him. Without a second thought, Keith scrambled to Shiro’s side.

“Shiro? Shiro!” Keith knelt beside Shiro’s limp form. He gingerly checked for a pulse, taking in the deathly pale color of Shiro’s complexion. Was this why Shiro was avoiding him? His illness was taking a turn for the worst? Tears welled up in Keith’s eyes. He didn’t want to lose Shiro.

Realization dawned on him, and Keith swallowed thickly. He could save Shiro. Shiro didn’t have to die, but he didn’t think Shiro wanted this. Shiro had made it clear that he knew what his fate was, and he was content with the life he’d lived until now. Even if it was shorter than he deserved.

Keith bit his lower lip, tears slipping down his cheeks. He was selfish, so very selfish. Shiro had come to terms with his death. He knew that he’d succumb to his illness eventually, and he’d accepted it. Keith, however, could not. He loved Shiro.

Keith brought Shiro’s wrist to his mouth before he could second guess his decision. He pressed a kiss to Shiro’s smooth skin before his fangs elongated and sunk in. He sucked gently, allowing his tongue to caress the wound, drinking in Shiro’s blood. Keith, having been accustomed to supplement tablets that replaced vampires’ need for human blood, moaned softly. It was intoxicating.

Before he could allow himself to get carried away, Keith released his hold on Shiro, dragging his tongue over the bite wound one final time to clean away a majority of the blood. With lidded eyes, he looked to Shiro’s face. He almost missed the light flutter of Shiro’s eyelashes, too caught off guard by the color of Shiro’s hair. He was sporting a full head of white hair, where moments ago there had only been a small section of white.

“Keith?” Shiro's voice was rough, ripping Keith’s attention away from his hair.

“Hey,” Keith whispered, stroking Shiro’s cheek gently.

“What--” Shiro’s brow furrowed, taking in the relief of Keith’s face and the dull ache he felt all over. His gaze eventually landed on his wrist, still in one of Keith’s hands. The bite mark was unmistakable. “Keith,” he croaked, “what did you do?”

“I-- I’m sorry.”

***

Shiro frowned, hissing as he peeled off his t-shirt. He’d walked to the grocery store earlier, and despite being outside for such a short time, he had a substantial sunburn. He’d typically been one to tan easier than he would burn. Examining his fresh new burns, Shiro sighed, knowing this was a side effect to his new found status as a vampire.

He’d get used to it. It seemed more long sleeve shirts were in his future. It’s a good thing he likes turtle necks, though those were usually reserved for winter months. Not anymore it seemed. 

***

Keith and Shiro had a long talk. It had been a long time coming. They needed to sit down and lay everything out for one another. And now that Shiro had been turned, there was more to discuss.

“I knew how you felt about me,” Shiro said softly, putting a hand over Keith’s. He used to think Keith’s skin felt cold, but he no longer felt the chill of physical contract with Keith. “I’d been trying to push you away. I thought I was helping you by putting distance between us, but it was selfish of me.” Keith looked away.

“How long have you known that I’m in love with you?” Keith murmured, ignoring the latter half of what Shiro said. Shiro huffed, racking his brain.

“A year? Maybe more? I don’t really remember--”

“You’ve known this whole time?” Keith’s head snapped back to meet Shiro’s sheepish gaze.

“Yeah,” Shiro chuckled, “and even though I’ve been in love with you too, I couldn’t allow us to act on those feelings. Not when I was dying. I couldn’t do that to you.”

“Wait,” Keith’s brain stalled. “You-- You’re-- You’ve-- ?”

“Yes. I’m in love with you, Keith.”

***

Keith didn’t officially move in with Shiro, but a month after Keith bit Shiro, he may as well have. They’d been close before, but with their feelings out in the open and the limitation of Shiro’s lifespan being removed from the equation, they were finally able to cross the line they’d been toeing at for a while now.

Keith often spent the night with Shiro now, and the night before had been like any other, the pair falling asleep in one another’s arms. Keith had left early in the morning, but was finally on his way back. The spare key no longer lived on the doorframe, rather it now had residency on Keith’s keyring.

He’d expected to come back and find Shiro at the kitchen table with his laptop in front of him, glasses on, and a pile of paperwork beside him. Why should he have expected anything different? Of course, nothing was ever that simple. Keith let himself in and made his way to the kitchen.

Shiro panted, his fangs extended eyes wide, he snarled in Keith’s direction the moment he was in view. Keith backed up, bumping into an end table. Something clattered to the floor, but he couldn’t be bothered to pay it any mind. Keith’s eyes flicked between Shiro and the kitchen table where he saw a glass of thick red liquid and several open packages of tablets. One tablet should be more than enough sustincene for a day or two. Something was wrong.

Keith’s mind reeled, trying to figure out what could have caused Shiro to react in such a feral way. He’d heard rumors of this happening, but never the cause. Keith thought that it was a myth. A rumor spread by humans to elicit fear of vampires.

Shiro closed the distance between the two of them, their bodies crashing against the floorboards before Keith could process his movement. He tried to fight back, to push Shiro off him, but Shiro was stronger, managing to pin Keith’s arms above his head. A yelp escaped Keith as Shiro’s fangs broke the tender skin where his neck and shoulder met.

Keith’s breath caught in his throat, body ridgid as Shiro drank his blood. He stangly didn’t find nearly as painful as he’d been anticipating. A choked groan slipped past his lips before he could stop it, tipping his head to the side in order to give Shiro better access. 

Keith lay on the floor, allowing Shiro to drink his fill. With one last lave of his tongue over the wound, Shiro pulled away. His expression was much calmer, much more Shiro-like, until Shiro registered what he’d just done. Horrified, Shiro scrambled off of Keith, fear and shame rooting itself firmly in his stomach.

“Keith--”

“Are you okay now?” Keith asked, sitting up, pressing a hand to his neck. It burned now without the soothing feeling of Shiro’s tongue on it.

“I bit you,” Shiro said hallowly. Keith nodded, pulling his hand away and examining the blood that stained it.

“Yeah.”

***

Shiro watched the even rise and fall of Keith’s chest. He’d been having trouble sleeping since the incident, but seeing Keith rest made him feel at ease. Fear still roamed in the back of his mind, knowing he lost control and took it out on Keith. He never wanted that to happen again.

“Shiro,” Keith murmured, reaching for Shiro weakly. “Are you going to sleep?”

“Yeah,” Shiro sighed, petting Keith’s messy bedhead.

“I’m not scared, you know.”

“Hm?”

“Of you,” Keith clarified. “I don’t know what happened or why, but I’m not scared of you losing control again.”

“But I am,” Shiro admitted, wrapping his arms around Keith. “I’m scared to hurt you.”

***

Keith stared at the screen, bile rising in the back of his throat. After he and Shiro had both extensively tried to research the incident the other day, Keith had given up, as their search resulted in no answers. Instead, Keith had reached out to Kolivan in hopes that the werewolf might have some information to at least guide them in the correct direction.

He hadn’t expected the indepth email in response. Kolivan had, in fact, had information for him. Vampires were technically undead. When a human is turned, the bite stops their heart. However, if someone who is already dead is turned, their heart cannot stop. They transition differently, and as a result they’re not the same as other vampires. Vampires turned this way are more sensitive to light, are physically stronger, faster, and cannot be sustained by the supplemental tablets the way normal vampires can. Those turned after their heart stopped cannot be sustained by human blood. They require the blood of other vampires. Should this need not be fulfilled they can become feral. Humans have long since feared vampires, but what they truly fear isn’t vampires. It’s feral vampires, as normal vampires are not known to attack humans.

Keith closed his laptop, shoving it away from him before curling up on the couch. Shiro had been dead when he found him that day. Shiro had died. His heart had stopped, and in a last ditch effort to keep him here, out of selfishness, Keith bit him. He turned him into a vampire, but not just a vampire. He turned him into a monster. Something to be feared. This was his fault. Rather than letting Shiro go, he damned him to an existence worse than the one Keith experienced.

“Keith?” Shiro flicked the lights on, blinking against the sudden brightness to focus on Keith, who didn’t look at him. “What are you doing up?” Shiro, eyes adjusting to the light, frowned at the look on Keith’s face. “Is everything okay?” He sat down beside Keith, studying his profile. Shiro swallowed thickly, trying not to focus on the slowly healing bite on Keith’s neck.

“I’m sorry,” Keith whimpered, pulling his knees against his chest. His eyes remained unfocused as he stared at the wall.

“Sorry?” The bridge of Shiro’s nose wrinkled. “For what?” Keith bit back a sob, gesturing towards his discarded laptop. Shiro raised a questioning brow, but retrieved it. The email from Kolivan was still open, Shiro glanced at Keith, who didn’t seem to acknowledge him. Unsure, Shiro started reading. The color drained from his face as he read further into the email. Once he finished, he set the laptop aside and took a moment to collect his thoughts.

“There’s no need to apologize. You did what you did out of good intentions. You didn’t know it would have unforeseen consequences.”

“Shiro, I--”

“Keith,” the tone of Shiro’s voice finally forced Keith to look at him, “don’t apologize for saving me. I’m only here because of the choice you made when you found me. I’d accepted my death, but that doesn’t mean I wanted to die.”

“But now you’re--” Keith waved in Shiro’s direction weakly.

“Well, it’s certainly not ideal, but we’ll figure this out okay?” Shiro rubbed Keith’s arm. “I’d like to meet with Kolivan in person. I have questions I hope he’ll be able to answer. Do you think he’d agree to meet me?” Keith nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll ask him. Can I-- Do you mind if I come with?”

“I think that would be best.” Shiro squeezed Keith’s arm reassuringly. “This is something we can worry about tomorrow. Come to bed?”

“I want to email Kolivan back first.”

“Okay,” Shiro sighed. “But please come to bed after. You need sleep.” Keith nodded, already typing his reply to Kolivan. Shiro lingered in the doorway before finally heading back to his bedroom where he fully intended to wait up until Keith joined him.

Half an hour later, Keith finally made his way to Shiro’s bedroom, fully expecting Shiro to be asleep. He was surprised to find the lamp on Shiro’s bedside table on, and Shiro wearing his glasses with a book open.

“You’re still awake,” Keith said dumbly when Shiro finally looked up at him. He hummed softly, closing the book and setting it aside before taking his glasses off.

“I wanted to make sure you got some sleep,” Shiro said matter of factly. “If you didn’t show up soon I was going to go looking for you again.” Keith felt heat crawl up the back of his neck, slipping under the covers. Shiro pulled Keith against him, burying his face in Keith's long hair. He sighed contently, making Keith’s stomach twist. Keith opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by a soft snore from Shiro.

***

“I’m surprised it took that long for him to attack you,” Kolivan mused. “Your breed can go feral in a matter of days, even hours, after they’re turned.”

“Do you have to say it like that?” Keith asked, slightly annoyed with the terminology Kolivan chose to use in reference to Shiro.

“Keith,” Shiro warned, earning a huff from Keith before he slumped back against his chair. “What preventative measures can I take to prevent another episode?”

“Vampire blood,” Kolivan said gruffly. “You just need a willing vampire who will allow you to feed off them.” The way Kolivan’s eyes shifted to Keith while he spoke was not lost on Shiro or Keith. “I suppose they don’t have to be willing--”

“I’m willing,” Keith said, cutting off Kolivan’s thought. Shiro glared at him.

“No, Keith.”

“Why not? I’m a vampire and I’m willing. Besides, this is my fault to begin with.”

“I don’t want to hurt you Keith.”

“It doesn’t hurt,” Keith said softly, his cheeks flushing as he looked away. Shiro hesitated before turning back to Kolivan.

“Would Keith experience any negative side effects from this?”

“Hm, so long as you feed in moderation, it shouldn’t put him in any danger. He might experience some drowsiness from the blood loss, but nothing of concern. I’d recommend taking a blood tablet afterwards though.”

“Is this feasible as a long term solution?” Shiro asked, eyeing Keith.

“I don’t see why not.” Kolivan put his hand to his chin, considering this. He might be more knowledgeable on the subject than most, but information, especially for the long term, is hard to come by. Most cases of someone turning after their heart has stopped end shortly after they go feral the first time, the second if they’re lucky.

After more questions, Shiro and Keith finally left, heading back to Shiro’s place. The trip back was quiet, neither speaking as thoughts swirled around their minds. Kolivan had assured them that if they had more questions they could reach out to him and he’d answer them the best he could, which was a slight comfort, but Shiro still had concerns.

***

“You don’t have to do this,” Shiro whispered, eyes pleading, begging Keith not to let this happen. Keith stood his ground, tilting his neck to the side.

“Shiro--” Keith’s plea was instantly met with the stinging pain of fangs sinking into his neck, pulling a moan from his lips. Shiro growled, biting down harder, his name on Keith’s tongue awakening something in him. Keith stroked Shiro’s hair.

It wasn’t a perfect arrangement, and with all the unknowns laid out before them, they were going to have to adapt, but for now Keith was content. Shiro was still alive, they were together. That was enough for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Does anyone else remember the fact that Shiro, in the canon, is sick? I don't think that they ever explain what it is, but we know it was a point of contention for him going on the Kerberos mission (and between him and Adam).
> 
> Oh man. I was so unsure what to do with the prompt I was given, and after avoiding this fic for a long time (due to lack of ideas) I managed to write something I don't think is too bad! I hope you enjoyed it!!
> 
> You can find me on [Tumblr](https://imori-hikaru.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Imori_Hikaru_)!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!!


End file.
